Hamida Dakane

Hamida Dakane (born c. 1989) is a Kenyan-American politician who is the first Black and first Muslim person to serve in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. She was elected in 2022 as a Democrat to represent District 10 of the North Dakota House of Representatives, centered in Fargo.

Life and career
Born in northeastern Kenya circa 1989 and of Somali descent, Dakane moved to the United States in 2011 on a student visa to attend North Dakota State University. She chaired the NDSU Black Student Association while studying for her bachelor's degree in emergency management and international studies. She stayed in the United States to work as a community organizer after graduation. She first ran for political office in 2020, unsuccessfully seeking to represent District 16 in the North Dakota House of Representatives.

In November 2022, Dakane was elected to represent House District 10 for a two-year term from December 1, 2022, to December 1, 2024. She represents the district alongside Rep. Steve Swiontek, a Republican. During North Dakota's 2023 legislative session, Dakane served on the Industry, Business and Labor and the Transportation standing committees and held interim appointments on the Workforce and the Agricultural and Natural Resources standing committees. Dakane and fellow state senator Kathy Hogan have sponsored mental health, childcare, and workforce development bills, most of which have been voted down by the overwhelmingly Republican state legislature.

Dakane holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Maryland. In 2018, she was appointed to serve on the Fargo Human Relations Commission. She has received the Human Rights MLK Award from the City of Fargo and been named Woman of the Year by the Fargo YWCA.